If you’ve ever ducked down the walkway between the Abion building and 1010 Lake St. to get from Lake Street to Austin Gardens, you have passed the location of a new restaurant called FARE.
The spare, yet elegant space is filled with light. This is the eighth location for a Chicago chain and its first location outside the city.
“I actually grew up in Elmhurst, so I’m a western suburb native, and it feels really good to be able to bring something healthy and fresh to the village,” co-owner Britni deLeon said.
The ordering concept is a modified cafeteria-style, think Chipotle or Sweetgreen’s process. Just like those places, you can choose a menu combo plate or bowl; or choose by the item. But that is where the similarities veer off.
“The idea is that you can get food that’s good for you and delicious very quickly,” deLeon said. “It’s convenient. It’s actually healthy. It’s made with really fresh seasonal ingredients. When we were looking for food to eat, Kasha, my business partner, and I were always like, we didn’t always trust the ingredients that were in things and felt like we were compromising one for the other. Either it was healthy or it was delicious. It never felt like it was really satisfying both.”
Four times a year the menu changes to focus on ingredients that are in abundance during that season. For the fall it’s roasted squash with cinnamon and walnuts, and Brussel sprouts and apples.
There are items that are offered year-round, such as mac and cheese, green goddess slaw, and sweet potatoes. The protein options are seasoned, but not strongly. Sauces served with each allows diners to ramp up the spiciness to their own liking.
The ribbon-cutting was last week, but diners like Gustavo Gil and Edward Wiesneth have already tried it out.
“We always explore new things,” Gil said.
“Everything tastes fresh,” Wiesneth said. “I’m a little bit picky because I’m a dietitian. I like that it’s that there’s a lot of vegetables on the plate. It’s a good balanced meal. I look for healthy places to eat, which is hard to find.”
Many of the items are gluten-free. The kitchen doesn’t use refined sugars. And they only cook with olive oil.
“You just can trust that you’re getting clean ingredients, very simple food,” deLeon said.
There’s a kid’s plate as well. Youngsters can choose a protein and a couple of sides. Their meal also comes with a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie. In the dining area there is a section scaled to child customers as well. The smaller tables and chairs are near a magnetic board filled with letters and numbers that kids can play with, giving adults a little more time to chat.
“It is always tricky trying to satisfy everybody’s wants and needs when you go to get something to eat, especially when you want to get something quick,” deLeon said. “You can keep coming back here, making endless combinations of plates or bowls and feel like you’re getting something fresh and different all the time.”
***
Info to go:
Website: foodbyfare.com
Address: 1000 Lake St., down the walkway
Hours: Daily 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m.